Alright, we’re going to be calling this entry a bridge between the 5-game road trip and the upcoming week of chaos. Between the 16-hour travel day and a little bit of jet lag, it’s taken some time to get things up to speed again here in the depths of Mohegan Sun. That, and the minor issue of preparing for two consecutive games against conference co-leader Detroit Shock.

But we start in Sacramento, where the Sun played perhaps its most complete 40 minutes of the season. A great 72-56 victory over the Monarchs provided a perfect end to a winning trip (3-2) and boosted the overall record to 10-3, tied for best in the league. I have to say, despite the win it still felt a bit like déjà vu in Sac-town. On the bus ride from downtown out to Arco Arena, and then the walk back to the visitors locker room, I couldn’t help but think that it was 2005. But hey, there’s new carpet in that dingy locker room (or they vacuumed the old one), and the results have changed in Sacramento, where we have now won two years in a row.

Our reward for the triumph? A day of travel across the country, complete with a delayed layover in Minneapolis and a well-past 1 a.m. arrival at Mohegan Sun. As tends to happen, the travel was made much easier due to the previous night’s outcome, and the subsequent good mood of everybody involved. After a win like that, the bumps and bruises don’t hurt as bad, the delays don’t seem as long, and the potentially-engine-related mechanical problems don’t seem quite as dangerous. I must throw in a ‘kudos’ to our airline carrier for the day (a hint: it wasn’t Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, or Midwest, but it was directional). It only took 90 minutes to decide that a readily-available replacement jet was a smart option, especially considering the inability to locate the aforementioned mechanical problem. So well done.

Since I won’t be back out on the road for a couple weeks, it’s time to take a quick look at the upcoming stretch for the Sun. As you probably know, the rival Shock are rolling into town for a clash on Tuesday night, with the winner taking a slight lead in the conference standings. Detroit is the defending conference champion (two years running), but both teams, especially ours, have several new faces that should each add something to the mix. Deanna Nolan is coming off a 44-point game for Detroit, and familiar faces Katie Smith and Cheryl Ford are in good form. Like the Sun, they sport a solid bench with Planette Pierson and rookie Alexis Hornbuckle. Tuesday’s game, plus a return match in Detroit on Thursday, offers a great chance for our young players to show how far they have advanced after 13 WNBA games. It’s really too bad that Sun-Shock isn’t the ESPN2 game of the week.

As is always the case with these Detroit games, the arena should be rocking, and hopefully the crowd can lift the Sun to another home win. Our 5-1 home record is a major part of our success thus far, and can be especially important to a young team playing in big games.

Thanks for reading, and a big hello to all the family who came out to the games on the west coast.

Go Sun, and let’s make it raucous on Tuesday (and then Friday and Sunday)!

-Eric

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